Hypergeometric Functions of Matrix Arguments and Linear Statistics of Multi-Spiked Hermitian Matrix Models

This paper derives central limit theorems (CLTs) for general linear spectral statistics (LSS) of three important multi-spiked Hermitian random matrix ensembles. The first is the most common spiked scenario, proposed by Johnstone, which is a central Wishart ensemble with fixed-rank perturbation of the identity matrix, the second is a non-central Wishart ensemble with fixed-rank noncentrality parameter, and the third is a similarly defined non-central $F$ ensemble. These CLT results generalize our recent work to account for multiple spikes, which is the most common scenario met in practice. The generalization is non-trivial, as it now requires dealing with hypergeometric functions of matrix arguments. To facilitate our analysis, for a broad class of such functions, we first generalize a recent result of Onatski to present new contour integral representations, which are particularly suitable for computing large-dimensional properties of spiked matrix ensembles. Armed with such representations, our CLT formulas are derived for each of the three spiked models of interest by employing the Coulomb fluid method from random matrix theory along with saddlepoint techniques. We find that for each matrix model, and for general LSS, the individual spikes contribute additively to yield a $O(1)$ correction term to the asymptotic mean of the linear statistic, which we specify explicitly, whilst having no effect on the leading order terms of the mean or variance

Synthesis of discussions of the Second Koala Retrovirus Workshop, 2021

This document represents a synthesis of discussions held online at the Second Koala Retrovirus Workshop in 2021. The three days of discussions were based on workshop presentations and comprise: KoRV foundational science (Day 1); applied management of koalas in zoo populations (Day 2); and applied management of koalas in wild populations (Day 3). Each of these discussions gathers current knowledge, explores points of consensus and disagreement, and identifies important knowledge gaps. Recommendations arise regarding research strategy, interim measures for management, and support of research and management via initiation of working groups on KoRV diagnostics and biobanking

TU Tau B: The Peculiar 'Eclipse' of a possible proto-Barium Giant

TU Tau (= HD 38218 = HIP 27135) is a binary system consisting of a C-N carbon star primary and an A-type secondary. We report on new photometry and spectroscopy which tracked the recent disappearance of the A-star secondary. The dimming of the A-star was gradual and irregular, with one or more brief brightenings, implying the presence of nonhomogeneities in the carbon star outflow. We also present evidence that the A-star is actively accreting s-process enriched material from the carbon star and suggest that it will therefore eventually evolve into a Barium giant. This is an important system as well because the A-type star can serve as a probe of the outer atmosphere of the carbon star.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, 4 tables, a number of amateur observatories made significant contributions to this research. Paper accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journa

The International Olympic Committee consensus statement on age determination in high-level young athletes

I Brage finner du siste tekst-versjon av artikkelen, og den kan inneholde ubetydelige forskjeller fra forlagets pdf-versjon. Forlagets pdf-versjon finner du på bjsm.bjm.com: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2010.073122 / In Brage you'll find the final text version of the article, and it may contain insignificant differences from the journal's pdf version. The original publication is available at bjsm.bjm.com: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2010.07312

Climate change challenges, plant science solutions

Climate change is a defining challenge of the 21st century, and this decade is a critical time for action to mitigate the worst effects on human populations and ecosystems. Plant science can play an important role in developing crops with enhanced resilience to harsh conditions (e.g. heat, drought, salt stress, flooding, disease outbreaks) and engineering efficient carbon-capturing and carbon-sequestering plants. Here, we present examples of research being conducted in these areas and discuss challenges and open questions as a call to action for the plant science community

A many-analysts approach to the relation between religiosity and well-being

The relation between religiosity and well-being is one of the most researched topics in the psychology of religion, yet the directionality and robustness of the effect remains debated. Here, we adopted a many-analysts approach to assess the robustness of this relation based on a new cross-cultural dataset (N=10,535 participants from 24 countries). We recruited 120 analysis teams to investigate (1) whether religious people self-report higher well-being, and (2) whether the relation between religiosity and self-reported well-being depends on perceived cultural norms of religion (i.e., whether it is considered normal and desirable to be religious in a given country). In a two-stage procedure, the teams first created an analysis plan and then executed their planned analysis on the data. For the first research question, all but 3 teams reported positive effect sizes with credible/confidence intervals excluding zero (median reported β=0.120). For the second research question, this was the case for 65% of the teams (median reported β=0.039). While most teams applied (multilevel) linear regression models, there was considerable variability in the choice of items used to construct the independent variables, the dependent variable, and the included covariates

A Many-analysts Approach to the Relation Between Religiosity and Well-being

The relation between religiosity and well-being is one of the most researched topics in the psychology of religion, yet the directionality and robustness of the effect remains debated. Here, we adopted a many-analysts approach to assess the robustness of this relation based on a new cross-cultural dataset (N = 10, 535 participants from 24 countries). We recruited 120 analysis teams to investigate (1) whether religious people self-report higher well-being, and (2) whether the relation between religiosity and self-reported well-being depends on perceived cultural norms of religion (i.e., whether it is considered normal and desirable to be religious in a given country). In a two-stage procedure, the teams first created an analysis plan and then executed their planned analysis on the data. For the first research question, all but 3 teams reported positive effect sizes with credible/confidence intervals excluding zero (median reported β = 0.120). For the second research question, this was the case for 65% of the teams (median reported β = 0.039). While most teams applied (multilevel) linear regression models, there was considerable variability in the choice of items used to construct the independent variables, the dependent variable, and the included covariates

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms